Re: Moving from Green screen app to GUI because of push back from younger employees?

> Although there may be many benefits to a full GUI interface, its a
> *very* expensive proposition and not a project to be taken likely
> if you have a fairly customized purchased/in-house system.

Well now as a consultant I have to say: "It Depends." If you decide to replace 100% of all interfaces with a GUI before releasing any then yes and it will fail. You will never complete because other business interests will require changes and delay the project, mostly forever.

So the 'attack plan' needs to start with a selected interface. This is generally something that is very important when it is used but lesser used or something quite simple but used continuously and by many. In addition you need to select a tool to use for this. Doing a hand-coded pure web interface without tooling today is, well, just silly. Do you pick PHP or Lansa or Profound Logic or ??? Check them out, DO their demos, make a plan. Which fits your user base? Check out www.grar.com (uses PHP). Who knew it started on a S/38 and the logic behind it is all RPG running 100% on IBM i. Is that the direction your users require? Perhaps not, maybe they actually need entry screens in which case a different tool might be better for you.

Then by starting with one interface you've not invested all the kings money AND you get a relatively quick return. You also get some experience and can perhaps change look and feel a bit on this early interface before you go crazy.

ESPECIALLY if you've customized or own your own app you have the knowledge to pull this off.

The customers I have who have used this approach are HAPPY. Those denying the need are not. Digging in and holding on to the green screen for dear life has a limited, well, life.

- Larry "DrFranken" Bolhuis

www.Frankeni.com
www.iDevCloud.com - Personal Development IBM i timeshare service.
www.iInTheCloud.com - Commercial IBM i Cloud Hosting.

On 12/12/2017 9:12 AM, Winchester Terry wrote:

Although there may be many benefits to a full GUI interface, its a *very*
expensive proposition and not a project to be taken likely if you have a
fairly customized purchased/in-house system.

IMO, if the sole justification to do this was based on one employee, its a
poor business decision. Maybe they are better off without this person ;-)

If your being pushed forward...good luck :)


-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ken Meade
Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2017 9:04 AM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Moving from Green screen app to GUI because of push back from younger employees?

I had a request to update our interface from a green screen application to a 'more modern GUI' because of an inability to keep new employees because of the look/feel of the green screen apps and the ability to more easily train them if the look/feel was something they were more familiar with.


I'm just curious if others have run into this as a reason to 'modernize'
their applications.


Thanks,

Ken Meade

Director of Information Technology | kmeade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
603.444.3570 |

1309 Mt. Eustis Road, Littleton, NH 03561

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